Warning: Scams Are Expected To Increase As We Get Closer To Christmas
Everyone is at risk, businesses, organisations, clubs and individuals with scams at your door, in your email, on your phone and in your browser, favourite apps and social media.
There are ones like the “Missed delivery“, call or voicemail commonly labeled the (Flubot) scams are still active.
Please stay on your guard and not get caught by this scam. It is actually easy to get caught, as most of us are expecting deliveries of some sort around Christmas.
The text messages ask you to tap on a link
to download or access something.
We strongly recommend that you never click on the links
in these sort of messages.
This article from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) who run the “SCAMWATCH” website will give you a lot more information about the scam, how to look out for it, and even give you some advice if you have accidentally clicked on the link.
Missed delivery, call or voicemail (Flubot) scams (ACCC ScamWatch)
The Regional Council of Goyder recently posted warning about a Scam doing the rounds
South Australians are being urged to remain vigilant after fresh reports of itinerant, unlicensed tradies (scammers) preying on vulnerable consumers.
Consumers near Victor Harbor have paid thousands of dollars to tradies who had been going from door to door offering to do bitumen work in the area.
Itinerant tradies often go door to door in regional areas, claiming to have leftover bitumen from another job and offering to do cheap work on the premises.
Unfortunately, this ‘group’ are reportedly new to the area and have set up to resemble Downer to the general public.
The attached business card has already been found/reported in Whyalla and Kimba.
Consumer Affairs are aware and have issued a Public Warning on their website.
Anyone with concerns should contact Consumer and Business Services on 131 882.
Your Devices are at risk.
Apple Security Update Fixes Zero-Day Webkit Exploits
Tech News mob TechRepublic released a recent article about apple devices that you may wish to read. The days of any device being completely safe and un-hackable has been exposed years ago yet the myth remained for many years and this is one example of the risks for all.
Click below to read the article.
You will find that Android, Windows and Linux, IoT based devices will also have similar issues, so please seek out your device manufacturer and keep on top of upgrades – especially security ones.
That brings us to another issue – the note below explains more:
Please note: Some unnamed manufactures (Ed: we know who they are – but do not dare mention their names) build in very short term ‘obsolescence’ to their devices – pushing for upgrades to new devices as the only solution. Some smart people try to circumnavigate that by choosing not to update their devices, (and why not) as their devices are quite capable of doing the job they require. They have to choose to do this as the manufacturer usually builds in ‘features’ that often either will refuse to upgrade or break the upgrade and most often make the device inoperatable. Generally the strategy of not updating has worked for the ‘non-upgraders’, but they also need to be very careful on how they use their devices as they can leave themselves exposed to risk.
Recently Security Issues have been highlighted in ‘IoT’ (Internet of Things) devices, they vary so much in what they do, from smart TV’s, Video Security Cameras, Fridges, your Car and Tractor, to industrial CNC machines, it would appear very few items, if connected to the Internet in some way, are safe. At the moment it could be presumed that the more popular an item is, the more effort will be made into trying to hack the devices. Another attraction is to cause business disruption, or to attack a network behind the device to steal business intelligence (Your Interlectual Property – IP).
As an example just over a week ago ECBAT Business Members in the manufactoring sector were sent a warning about Unitronics PLCs having a High Security Alert from the Australian Signs Directorate.
Take Care when clicking any image or link
It is happening more than you realise. Even if you have Anti-virus, Adware type protection – it is often the person who is their worst enemy. An innocent looking image or video on the side of your social media that you normally ignore, but once you might just ‘not be thinking’ – click it, and before you know it you have been ‘hacked’. Your software protection can’t stop you from clicking ‘OK’ (after it has warned you).
If that bargain seems too good to be true – it probably is.
These people prey on your natural interest in getting a bargain
Identity Loss the hardest to recover from
More sinister is the times that you are unaware there has been a compromise, and in the background, unknown to you, the criminals have been accessing your bank accounts, buying goods in your name and other disasterous things such as stealing your identity. They can transfer control of your accounts, your identity and your assetts to themselves. It will be up to you to first off find out what has changed and then comes the hard work of proving to each controlling department (Like your bank or Vehicle Rego, birth records etc) that it is you (they may now have someone else controlling these details – and you look to be the suspicious one).
Please ‘Think Before You Click’, you just do not need this loss and stress.
Security Advisors say that it can take the average person about 10 years to completely recover from an ‘identity theft’. People who have had this happen to them say it is ‘Soul Destroying’.
Want to Stay Safe? – ACCC ScamWatch is a good place to start.
So – “THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK” on any button, image or link in any of your devices,
AND MAKE REGULAR BACKUPS will help keep your data safe.
We suggest that you make a second backup of importand data and keep in a safe, secure place away from your home (where you keep your normal documentation and devices). This covers the issue of loss due to fire or theft.
Be prepared – Have a Happy & Safe Holiday Season.
The above article is not meant to be Definitive in any way, but we do hope that it increases your attempts to protect yourself.
If the above article distresses you and you need help, there are many online services, such as
BeyondBlue.org.au
